Are you afraid of the unknown, so you stay in your job because it is comfortable? Are you unsure whether you are ready to promote or move on? Or might you be unsure what else you want to do? Or, do you find that your values differ from your organizations? Or is your paycheck the only reason you show up to work?

If your answer was yes to any of these, you might be ready for a new job or career challenge. But, before you start job hunting, understand what is important to you in your next position. You don’t want to switch jobs only to find yourself in the same situation with a different manager, department, or employer.

Assembled below are steps to a possible framework to successfully navigate the job-hunting process. These represent best practices and approaches from successful candidates that I’m happy to now share with the rest of CSMFO.

Step 1 – Evaluate your Priorities

An often overlooked step is identifying your career priorities. Answering these 6 questions will help frame your own priorities as well as be your north star when answering interview questions. Trying writing out your responses to really sharpen your answers.

1. What are my career goals?
2. What values am I looking for in an employer?
3. What is non-negotiable (relocation, salary/benefits, etc.)?
4. What type of culture/environment do I perform best?
5. What do I not want to do?
6. What skills and talents do I use in my current job? Do I wish to continue using these in my new role?

Step 2 – Prepare for the Job Hunt

While some government employers may be moving to online applications and away from resumes , this is still a vital tool for others and an essential tool to helping you frame your profession career milestones. Here are essential tips to creating a powerful resume.

• Include your city, state, phone, e-mail, and a link to your LinkedIn profile.
• One to two pages is ideal. Check your margins to make sure you are using most of the free space on a page.
• Include a professional/career summary tailored to the position.
• List relevant technical expertise (software applications) or professional credentials.
• Review the job listing you are applying for and identify key terms to incorporate into your resume.
• Include a one-sentence company description to help potential employers better understand your industry background. Eliminate this info if the company is well known, or it was a job that doesn’t relate to your career goals.
• Use action words to describe your work experience and provide detail of your accomplishments. If you use bullets, each bullet can have more than one sentence, and group similar items together.

Step 3 – Leverage Social Media

This means at a minimum reviewing your LinkedIn account and doing your own research of your online profile.

LinkedIn
Here are some key tips for refreshing your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t yet have a LinkedIn account, use these same tips to build up your profile.

• Update your photo and make sure it is professional looking.
• Review your profile and resume. Revise as necessary.
• Post your professional content on your LinkedIn profile. Attach articles or any items you have published to your profile.
• Ask former managers/clients/co-workers for an endorsement.
• Join industry groups related to your expertise and become an active participant.

Check your other Social Media Accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.). Go through your social media posts and comments, delete what is inappropriate, update your profile picture, and adjust your privacy settings. Potential employers may examine your social media accounts.

As a final tip, enter your name in any web browser (Google, Explorer, etc) to see what comes up. At a minimum, you should be aware of and ready to talk about the top search results for your name.

EDITORIAL NOTE. CSMFO has heard the stories from members like you, from how so many candidates are NOT prepared and perform poorly during the interview process to candidates being unsure how to take the next step. The end result is that the positions remain unfilled and the hiring process starts over with the hope the end result will turn out differently. We have all heard the quote: “Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results”.

If you want different results than what you’re getting in the job search process, you have to try different approaches. The things you did yesterday have brought you to the life you have today. If you want something different, you have to do something different today to create a different life tomorrow.
We asked someone who has spent their career helping others prepare and find their ideal job. So we hope you enjoy this three-part series.